Antique Bakhtiari Carpet

Period: 19th Century
Origin: Bakhtiari
Dimensions: 215 x 390 cm

This rare 19th century Persian Bakhtiari carpet highlights a powerful and rhythmic geometric composition featuring a complex “Khesti” or garden panel design, where the field is divided into a formal grid of rectangular compartments. This structural balance between the architectural grid and the diverse botanical motifs—including weeping willows, stylized cypress trees, flowering shrubs, and ornate “boteh” figures—reflects the pinnacle of the Bakhtiari weaving tradition from the Chahar Mahal region. Bakhtiari carpets of this antiquity are world-renowned for their narrative depth, essentially acting as a woven map of a traditional Persian garden, symbolizing fertility, life, and paradise.

The color palette is masterfully balanced, featuring alternating panel backgrounds of madder red, midnight indigo, ivory, and golden saffron that serve as a dramatic canvas for high-contrast floral shifts. These rich and enduring tones, achieved through the expert application of natural dyes, exhibit a chromatic strength and a saturated depth that are hallmarks of the finest 19th-century tribal workshop productions. The inclusion of a wide, multi-layered border system—anchored by a primary ivory-ground border decorated with a rhythmic sequence of geometric floral rosettes—creates a precise visual frame that highlights the superior wool quality and distinctive technical finesse of the Bakhtiari weavers.

Structural analysis indicates the use of premium hand-spun local wool with a characteristically resilient pile and a firm, substantial handle. The exceptional clarity of the angular outlines—specifically the individual branches of the weeping willows and the precisely executed “shark-tooth” guard borders—and the presence of significant, harmonious abrash throughout the red and blue panels definitively distinguish this antique masterpiece as an authentic 19th-century artifact. Ultimately, this Bakhtiari garden carpet stands as a premier example of Persian tribal art, representing a peak in both technical endurance and graphic majesty for global textile collectors.

Stock No : 1062

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